"Rhydian!" I yelled picking up my towel and slamming the door shut.
"Ow! Maddy, your mom let me in!" He shouted from the other side of the wood.
"Yeah well my mam probably forgot to mention I've just showered! And I don't shower in my clothes Rhydian!" I ranted, tightening the towel around my small frame.
I heard Rhydian snigger to himself, quiet enough for only a Wolfblood to hear. "Actually she did mention something about knocking…" he trailed off in thought. "It must've slipped my mind." He grinned; I could sense it.
"Rhydian Morris!" I felt my cheeks flush and the room spin around me. "You're such a-"
He roared with laughter.
"-guy!"
"S'ok Mads. I didn't see…"
"Don't lie!"
"…much."
The awkward conversation that soon followed at dinner commenced. I wolfed down my beef, not really tasting it.
"You know…" Dad started, "most people like to chew, Maddy." He suggested beside me; I gave up on participating in the conversation (a while ago.)
"Huh?" I asked, mouth full (to the point where I was on the verge of choking.) I saw my mam glance worriedly in my direction. Her brow knitted and she placed her knife and fork on the table. Uh-oh it was as if she was about to…
"Is everything okay pet?"
…do that.
"Oh why not ask Rhydian here." I said flatly, my eyes fixed on my beef.
"Well…" he trailed off, gaze flickering down to his plate.
Something in me just snapped. I kicked him under the dining table, hard, twice, in the same place.
"Ow!" He roared.
Dad scraped his chair back and stood up. "Right! What's going on between you two?" Not me nor Rhydian answered. We just snarled at each other. "Well?"
Rhydian sighed in defeat. "There was a misunderstanding."
I laughed harshly. "A misunderstanding? He walked in on me!" I screamed suddenly furious, rising from my seat.
"It was only a matter of time." Mam confessed, her eyes fixed on Dad.
"Before what?" Rhydian asked also rising from his seat.
"Tell them." Dad groaned.
Mam remained silent.
"Emma they need to know." Dad exclaimed. "It is their future after all."
"Our future?-" Rhydian started before being silenced by my Mam.
"Out with it!"
Mam swallowed and continued. "You and Rhydian are alpha mates. Not now but… destined."
"You mean like_?" I spluttered unable to finish.
"Soul mates." Dad added with a smile.
Rhydian gawked, speechless. I felt his eyes on my face, but I refused to meet his gaze.
This was just too much for me to handle right now. I excused myself from thetable, ran to my room and slammed the door. Breathless, I collapsed onto my bed. Do I love him? Well of course I do. But like that? I heard some shuffling outside my door, hesitating in the doorway.
"I can smell you out there Rhydian!" I pointed out, loud enough for the whole house to hear; a house of Wolfbloods.
"Can I come in?"
"If you must," I sighed, he entered, but warily lingered in the doorway. "Rhydian…"
"No, Mads. Let me speak please. How do you feel about this?" Rhydian crossed the room and sat beside me feet.
"I don't know. It's just…"
"Strange." He finished my sentence."But I really need to tell you something."
I think it's time to come out with it. "So do I."
"Maddy, I think I love you." He stopped and corrected himself. "No, I know I love you…"
"Rhydian…"
He cut me off. "And if we're destined_"
I clamped my hand over his mouth. "Stop. I don't need a big speech Rhydian."
His face fell.
"You talk too much." I removed my hand and my lips barely grazed his before I heard whispering from outside. I froze.
"Shhh… Daniel I can't hear them." Mam protested in a hushed whisper.
"Well if you hadn't insisted we'd follow them and just have let my finish my dinner, my stomach wouldn't be roaring in protest right now!" He hissed back defensively.
I could just imagine them; ears and palms pressed to my bedroom door. What my parents would call "caring," I called invading my personal space.
"What are they doing out there?" Rhydian murmured trying to find my lips as I pulled away slowly.
"Being evasive. But then again… what else is new." And with that I carelessly threw my arms around his neck, smiled, and closed the remaining space between our faces with my own. I lost all sense of myself as he kissed me harder, faster and more desperately.
Almost sitting on his lap, I knotted my hands in his blonde hair, this drove him wild. Rhydian effortlessly flipped me over and leaned over me, his hands fumbling with my navy blouse.
"What are they doing?" Dad asked, suddenly cautious to the endless possibilities of what we were doing alone, on my bed.
I sighed. "Don't push it Rhydian. Not with them in earshot."
"Wasn't planning on it." He murmured against my lips. He continued to slowly loose himself, until suddenly he stiffened at the sound of more shuffling outside my bedroom. "This isn't going to work." He gently lifted himself from me and buttoned up my shirt again.
My face stormy, I stood and placed my hand on the doorknob. 3... 2... 1! I yanked my bedroom door open with all the force I had. My parents went flying to the floor by my feet.
"Maddy… we were just admiring the_"/
"Oh come off it!" I stepped over their protesting bodies. "Ice-cream, Rhydian?" I asked making my way to the kitchen.
"Sure Mads." He followed after me.
Well, the moment was lost. But was happily postponed for rocky road.
